Metallic-furniture casing.



A. T. WEISS.-

METALLIC FURNITURE CASING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.26. 1914.

Patented Apr. 11,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1914.

. Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Snucnfoz Alber T. Weiss Witneooe o TED STATES PATENT OFFIC.

ALBERT T. WEISS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO YAWMAN & ERBE MFG. 00., OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METALLIC-FURNITURE CASING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 26, 1914. Serial No. 814,404.

I 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT T. Wmss, of Rochester, in the county of .Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic- Furniture Casings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to furniture, and more particularly to metallic-furniture of the type used in oflices, such as filing cabinets which are fitted with drawers, cupboards or book shelves, and the invention has for its object to provide a simple, cheap and strong casing or shell for such cabinets, particular attention being directed toward providing for easy assembling of the parts together with lightness, strength and rigidity in the resulting structure.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements andcombinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cabinet casing constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention, the facing plate for the side wall being removed; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an inside elevation of one of the facing plates ;-*Fig. 4 is ahorizontal section taken substantially on the line 14 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken from front to rear substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the side wall taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the top wall; Fig. 8 is a similar view of corresponding portions of the side and back walls, and Fig. 9 is a collective view showing in perspective an end of one of the inside braces or tie pieces together with its securing wedge.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several figures indicate the same parts.

' In the present embodiment of the invention, a shell or casing individually suitable pressure to contain'a'number of drawers iofthehang ing or extension type has been shown, but the drawer connections have been omitted, for, as before stated, the casing may be adapted for a variety of uses. It comprises, in the present instance, side walls 1 formed by flat plates having outstanding marginal flanges 2 and 2 wardly or toward each other toprovide flat abutment faces 3 and 3 spaced or offset from the body of the wall. In the present instance the flanges 3 at the sides are integral with-the wall, but the others, 3, are otherwise connected thereto and integral with the top and bottom walls, as will presently appear. The walls are suitably .braced and rigidly joined together in part by-a plurality of tie bars 4 connecting them. The preferred form of these tie bars will constitute the subject matter of an additional application to be filed by me and henceit is suflicient to say herein that they may comprise end faces 5 that abut the inner surfaces of the walls to resist inward extensions 6 and 7, anchored in apertures in the walls, and wedges 8 that pass through openings in one set of said extensions, as indicated in Fig. 9, to jam against the outer faces of the walls and draw up the faces 5.

A facing plate 9 similarmarginal flanges 10 turned inwardly at 11 is applied to the side wall to cover the same with its flanges 11 disposed against the flanges 3 and 3". An offset, downwardly turned flange-12 at the bottom of the facing plate is engaged over and interlockedjwi'th the lower flange 3 on the side wall (which that are thence turned in- (Figs. 2 and 3) having latter is connected thereto in a manner to be later described) while at elevated points ing bolts 13, two of which are preferably arranged near its upper end, as shown. These.

bolts 13 are suitably mountedand guided in the side walls 1 and provided with offset engaging portions 14 that look over the flangesll on the facing plate and .hold them tight against the flanges 3 on the side walls, being secured in place, in the present instance, by thumb nuts 15 accessible from the interior of the casing, all as clearly shown in Fig. 4:. If two or more sets of these bolts are provided it is apparent that they may also be utilized for locking together adjacent casings with the facing plates of each left off, in which instance they engage over the flanges 3 of the adjoining-casing and notch or cutaway portion 16 (Fig. 1) into which fits a projection 17 on the corresponding flange 11 of the facing plate (Fig. 3) formed by bending up a portion thereof. Of course, this arrangement may be reversed and the same devices employed for centering adjoining sections connected together as above outlined, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

The bottom wall 18 of the casing, as shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 5, is extended beyond the side walls and turned up to provide the lower flanges 3 outstanding therefrom. A false bottom or lining plate 20 is held spaced from the bottom plate by flanges 21 at the sides welded or otherwise connected to the latter and by flanges 22 on the false bottom connected thereto by bolts or other securing devices 23 which also pass through the side plates 1 (Fig. 2) and hold the latter and the bottom together. As an additional bracing means, however, I prefer to provide a heavy yoke 24 that extends across the bottom 19 and has its upturned ends disposed well up against the side walls 1, being suitably secured to both of these parts if desired.

At the front, the bottom 19 is turned upwardly at 25 and thence inwardly at 26 at the margin of the forward opening of the casing, while the forward edge of the false bottom 20 is turned upwardly at 27 to meet it and preferably to project slightly beyond it and form a stop for the closure for the opening, as shown in Fig. 5. An angle plate 28 secured to the yoke 24 and to the upturned portion 25 of the bottom gives additional rigidity to the latter at the front. At the back, the bottom plate is also turned upwardly at 29 and thence inwardly at30 to meet a corresponding upwardly turned port1on 31 on the false bottom or lining plate 20. The back or intermediate wall 32 has forwardly'and thence inwardly turned flanges 33 and 34 (Figs. 6 and 8) at its sides engaging over the flanges 23 of the side walls and providing grooves to receive them and to provide an interlocking connection that may be afl'ected by sliding the back wall into 'place before the top wall, hereinafter described, is applied. A seat thereon formed by a rearwardly and thence downwardly turned flange 35 and 36 cooperates with the flanges 30 and 31 on the bottom Wall and its lining, respectively, to make a neat and tight joint. A lining plate 37 having marginal flanges 38'spacing it from the back is connected up and held in place by laterally "turned flanges 39 at its sides which project between the back flanges 2.

. The lateral flanges 3 of the side walls at the front edges terminate short of the side walls and of the flanges 2 at both top and bottom and flanges 40 on the bottom. Wall go up to meet them, as shown in Fig. 1, and to constitute continuations of the said flanges, it having already been stated that the bottom flanges 3 are integral with the bottom. At the rear edge, however, the flanges 3 are coincident with the flanges 2 and the said flanges 40 on the bottom overlap them and meet the flanges 3334 on the back wall to lie flush therewith. It will thus be seen that the bottom wall is applied plate and the outstanding,

in the manner of a flanged cap engaging at ries the flanges 2 and 3 and flanges 46 engaging over the flanges 3 and 2, the flanges 3 at the front being cut away, as at the bottom, and as shown in Fig. 8, to make a flush surface for the facing plates. At the front it extends downwardly, to engage the flanges 2 and inwardly at 47 and 48, and may abut one of the ties 4, as shown in Fig. 1. The top is also provided with a lining plate 49 having side flanges 50 secured to angle plates 51 on the' top by bolts 52 or otherwise that fasten the top to the side walls by means of the latter. At the rear and front the lining plate is flanged downwardly at 53 and 54 to meet the flanges 43 and 48, and, in the former instance, to interlock with the flange 45 on the back wall. The top is, therefore, held down only by the bolts 52 but it fits over the body of the case in the manner of a cap, as does the bottom, before described, giving great rigidity and a neat appearance.

The hollow or double walls and the space between the outer wall plates and the lining plates may, in each instance, be filled with asbestos or other heat insulating material if desired but ordinarily the air space alone gives ample protection.

It will be understood that the terms side wall, top wallv and bottom wall are used herein, in most instances, purely in a relatlve sense for convenience in the description as it is obvious that the casing could be turned about to nullify the value of these terms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a metallic furniture casing, the combination with awall having outstanding and thence inwardly turned marginal flanges thereon, of a facing plate detachably applied to said wall against the inturned portions of the flanges, one of said inturned portions and the facing plate being respectively provided with cooperating projecting and recessed portions acting as a centering means for positioning the plate.

- 2. In a metallic furniture casing, the combination with a wall having outstanding and thence inwardly turned marginal flanges thereon, of a facing plate provided with similar flanges and detachably applied to the wall with the inturned portion of its flanges disposed against those on the said wall, and cooperating projecting and recessed portions on the respective inturned portions formed by notching the edge of one and by turning outwardly an ear on the other acting as a centering means for positioning the plate.

3. In a metallic furniturecasing, the combination with a wall having outstanding and thence inwardly turned marginal flanges thereon, of a facing plate provided with similar flanges and detachably applied to said wall with the inturned portions of its flanges disposed against those on the side walls, an offset flange on the facing plate projecting beyond the first mentioned flanges thereon-at one side of the plate and adapted to interlock with a flange on the corresponding side of the casing wall and manually releasable means at the other side of the plate arranged to interlock with another of said flanges on the casing wall.

4. In a metallic furniture casing, the combination with a wall having outstanding and thence inwardly turned marginal flanges thereon, of a facing plate provided with similar flanges and detachably applied to said wall with the inturned portions of its flanges disposed against those on the side wall, a downwardly turned offset flange at the bottom of the facing plate projecting beyond the first mentioned flanges thereon and adapted to interlock with the bottom flange on the casing with a downward motion and manually releasable means near the top of the plate arranged to interlock with another of said flanges on the casing wall.

5. Ina metallic furniture casing, the combination with a wall having outstanding and thence inwardly turned marginal flanges thereon, of a facing plate provided with similar flanges and detachably applied to said wall with the inturned portions of its flanges disposed against those on the side wall, a downwardly turned offset flange at the bottom of the facing plate projecting beyond the first mentioned flanges thereon and adapted to interlock with the bottom flange on the casing with a downward motion and manually releasable means near the top of the plate arranged to interlock with another of said flanges on the casing wall and comprising sliding bolts having offset engaging portions projecting beyond the flanges on the casing wall and accessible from within the casing.

6. In a metallic furniture casing, the combination with two opposite side walls of the casing provided with outstanding marginal flanges, of an intermediate wall having inturned flanges at its lateral edges interlocking with those on the side walls and forming grooves adapting said intermediate wall to be slid into lace from one end of the side walls, anda lining plate for the intermediate wall spaced therefrom and having outwardly turned flanges secured between the latter and the said flanges on the side walls.

7. In a metallic furniture casing, the combination with two side Walls and an intermediate wall secured thereto, the upper edge of the latter being provided with inwardly and thence upwardly turned flanges forming a seat, of a top wall having a downwardly and thence inwardly turned flange resting in the said seat and a lining plate for the top wall spaced therefrom and having a downwardly turned flange extending toward the seat and engaging over the upturned portion of the seat-forming flange on the intermediate wall. 7

8. In a metallic furniture casing, the combination with two side walls and an. intermediate wall secured thereto, the upper edge of the latter being terminated short of the corresponding edges of the side walls which project beyond it, of a top wall having marginal flanges engaging over the pro ecting portions of the side walls, one of said flanges being extended downwardly to meet the edge of the intermediate wall.

9. In a metallic furniture casing, the combination with two opposite side walls and an intermediate wall secured thereto, the upper edge of the latter being terminated short of the corresponding edges of the side walls which project beyond it and being provided with an inwardly and thence upwardly turned flange forming a seat, of a top wall having marginal flanges engaging over the projecting portions of the side walls, one of said flanges being extended downwardly to rest in the seat at the edge of the intermediate wall/ 10. In a metallic furniture casing, the combination with two opposite side walls of the casing provided with outstanding marginal flanges, of an intermediate wall having inturned flanges at its lateral edges interlocking with those on the side walls an forming grooves adapting said intermediate of a top wall having marginal flanges engaging over the projecting portions of the side walls and the flanges thereon, one of the flanges on the top wall being extended downwardly to meet the upper edge of the intermediate wall.

11. In a metallic furniture casing, the combination with two opposite side walls of the casing provided with outstanding marginal flanges, of an intermediate wall having inturned flanges at its lateral edges interlocking with those on the side walls and forming grooves adapting said intermediate wall to be slid into place from one end of the side walls, said intermediate wall terminating short of the ends of the side walls so that the latter project beyond the same, of a top wall having marginal flanges engaging over the projecting portions of the side walls and the flanges thereon, one of the flanges on the top wall being extended downwardly to meet the upper edge of the intermediate wall, and a facing plate for each side wall disposed against the flanges thereon and covering those on the intermediate walls and the to wall.

12. In a metallic urniture casing, the combination with two opposite side walls of the casing provided with outstanding and thence inwardly turned marginal flanges, of an intermediate wall having inturned flanges at its lateral edges interlocking with those on the side walls, of a top wall having marginal flanges engaging over the ends of the side walls and a facing plate for each of the latter disposed against and covering the flanges on both the side and top walls.

13. In a metallic furniture casing, the combination with a wall having outstanding and thence inwardly turned marginal flanges thereon, of manually operable securing devices on said side wall comprising olfset engaging portions projecting beyond the flanges and adapted to engage over and secure against said flanges similarly formed flanges on an adjoining element applied thereto;

ALBERT T. WEISS.

Witnesses I RUSSELL B. GRIFFITH, I-I. E. STONEBRAKER. 

